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A fuel reformer system that uses a steam reforming reaction in the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) line with a catalyst was earlier proposed.(1) An analysis of engine test results revealed that not only hydrogen (H2) but also a H2 rich reformate additive in the air-fuel mixture was effective in suppressing knocking. To improve fuel economy via a high compression ratio, the knock limit is extended through the addition of H2 with its high octane number. In order to produce H2 on-board, we have proposed a fuel reformer for which the additions to the engine are an injector and a catalyst in the existing cooled EGR system. This method produces thicker H2 gas from gasoline by using heat and water vapor in the exhaust gas. The reformate mainly consists of H2, CO and CH4.

On-board hydrogen generation technology using a fuel reforming catalyst is an effective way to improve the fuel efficiency of automotive internal combustion engines. The main issue to be addressed in developing such a catalyst is to suppress catalyst deterioration caused by carbon deposition on the catalyst surface due to sulfur adsorption. Enhancing the hydrocarbon and water activation capabilities of the catalyst is important in improving catalyst durability. It was found that the use of a rare earth element is effective in improving the water activation capability of the catalyst. Controlling the hydrocarbon activation capability of the catalyst for a good balance with water activation was also found to be effective in improving catalyst durability.

To improve the fuel economy via high EGR, combustion stability is enhanced through the addition of hydrogen, with its high flame-speed in air-fuel mixture. So, in order to realize on-board hydrogen production we developed a fuel reformer which produces hydrogen rich gas. One of the main issues of the reformer engine is the effects of reformate gas components on combustion performance. To clarify the effect of reformate gas contents on combustion stability, chemical kinetic simulations and single-cylinder engine test, in which hydrogen, CO, methane and simulated gas were added to intake air, were executed. And it is confirmed that hydrogen additive rate is dominant on high EGR combustion. The other issue to realize the fuel reformer was the catalyst deterioration. Catalyst reforming and exposure test were carried out to understand the influence of actual exhaust gas on the catalyst performance.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the concept of gasoline lift-off spray combustion in which the burning velocity is controlled by the rate of mixture supply to the flame zone. With this concept, gasoline fuel is injected under high pressure to promote atomization, evaporation and mixing with the air, thereby quickly forming a homogenous mixture extending to the flame downstream of the spray. As a result, the injected fuel is burned sequentially. In this study, a constant-volume combustion vessel was used to visualize and analyze spray combustion. The experimental results made clear the effects of the initial conditions (e.g., injection pressure and nozzle hole diameter) and the ambient conditions (e.g., temperature and pressure) on the flame lift-off length and soot formation. In addition, the conditions facilitating this combustion concept were examined by conducting combustion simulations with the KIVA-3V code, taking into account the detailed chemical reaction mechanisms.

Some automakers have been studying variable compression ratio (VCR) technology as one possible way of improving fuel economy. In previous studies, we have developed a VCR mechanism of a unique multiple-link configuration that achieves a piston stroke characterized by semi-sinusoidal oscillation and lower piston acceleration at top dead center than on conventional mechanisms. By controlling compression ratio with this multiple-link VCR mechanism so that it optimally matches any operating condition, the mechanism has demonstrated that both lower fuel consumption and higher output power are simultaneously possible. However, it has also been observed that fuel consumption does not reduce further once the compression ratio reached a certain level. This study focused on the fact that the piston-stroke characteristic obtained with the multiple-link mechanism is suitable to a longer stroke.

Vehicle manufacturers developed two mixture formation concepts for the first generation of gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engines. Both the wall-guided concept with reverse tumble air motion or swirl air motion and the air-guided concept with tumble air motion have the fuel injector located at the side of the combustion chamber between the two intake ports. This paper proposes a new GDI concept. It has the fuel injector located at almost the center of the combustion chamber and with the spark plug positioned nearby. An oval bowl is provided in the piston crown. The fuel spray is injected at high fuel pressures of up to 100 MPa. The spray creates strong air motion in the combustion chamber and reaches the piston bowl. The wall of the piston bowl changes the direction of the spray and air motion, producing an upward flow. The spray and air flow rise and reach the spark plug.

This paper presents a study of antiknock performance under various octane numbers and compression ratios in a direct injection spark ignition (DISI) gasoline engine. The relationship between the octane number and engine performance in the DISI engine-the engine torque and the break specific fuel consumption (BSFC)-was investigated in comparison with a multipoint injection (MPI) engine. Due to the improvement in the charging efficiency and the advance of the ignition timing by cooled aspiration, the engine torque of the DISI engine was improved over that of the MPI engine. It was also found that the octane number requirement (ONR) was reduced. In addition, the possibility of engine performance enhancement at high compression ratios was studied. At high compression ratios, the engine torque is reduced due to the heavy knocking when low octane gasoline is used. However, an improvement in the engine torque has been observed with high octane gasoline.

A gasoline-fueled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine with both direct fuel injection and negative valve overlap for exhaust gas retention was examined. The fuel was injected directly into the residual in-cylinder gas during the negative valve overlap interval for the purpose of reforming it by using the high temperature resulting from exhaust gas recompression. With this injection strategy, the HCCI combustion region was expanded dramatically without any increase in NOx emissions which were seen in the case of compression stroke injection. Injection timing during the negative valve overlap was found to be an important parameter that affects the HCCI region width. The injection timing also had the most suitable value in each engine load for the best fuel consumption. From this result, A new injection strategy in which only a portion of the fuel was injected during the negative valve overlap interval, while the rest of fuel was injected in intake stroke, was proposed.

A fundamental examination was made of gasoline-fueled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion under various compression ratios, intake temperatures and intake gas compositions. The results revealed the basic combustion characteristics, and the ignition timing and combustion duration were found for every set of conditions. Suitable intake air temperatures were also determined for every operating condition. Internal residual gas was used to raise the mixture temperature in the cylinder. The region of maximum engine speed was expanded without heating the intake air. Minimum and maximum indicated mean effective pressures (IMEP) were found in several engine speed regions under several residual gas rates. Based on the results, a comprehensive interpretation is given of conventional HCCI combustion in 2- and 4-stroke gasoline engines.